Every moment passes
by ovp
Summary: "I promised to show you Paris remember." Artemis kind of smirks and the tension melts as she scoots closer to correct him. "You promised to show me the world." (Spitfire happy ending after Endgame).


Well we all know that the end of Young Justice was just a little dramatic and heartbreaking. But I'm going to remain positive and keep pushing for a third season of one of the best shows to ever be created. To find out about the fandom's effort check out yjfanvids at tumblr.

So yes have some happy spitfire, a happy conclusion, because I will not let CN silence me :) I will keep writing till I lose inspiration.

_Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice or its characters._

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**Every moment passes**

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When Wally finally stops running, when whatever super charged kinetic force lets him go, he finds himself standing in the middle of the Arctic Circle. He doesn't know how long it's been or how much time has passed, it felt like he was just running beside Barry trying to save the world yesterday - but he's not stupid enough to believe that no time has passed. Regardless his efforts clearly weren't in vain because, hey, the planet is still there. He doesn't remember much of the journey it was one long string of running, never ending running, where he was propelled by a force greater then himself. He's pretty sure he changed things, that he skirted some alternate dimensions and ran across the farthest reaches of the galaxy. He has a funny feeling he's helped people too, even if he can't remember anything but moving forward. Always moving forward never stopping. As he stands there in the middle of nowhere he recalls how he used all that time to think, all that running was a blessed opportunity to plan out this moment when he finally returned.

Naturally the first thing he does is go home. To Palo Alto. His parents can wait. Barry and Iris can wait. Bart can wait. The team can wait. But he can't make her wait. Not anymore. Not a minute longer.

But he doesn't exactly get the greeting he expects. The dramatic reunion so eloquently displayed in chick flicks and on television is replaced instead with a startled Artemis who punches him square in the face the moment she first catches sight of him on the stoop. Naturally the backwards pulsation sends him flying through the banister of the stairs and he tumbles to the ground in a heap. He's pretty sure his nose is broken as he pinches at the bridge fruitlessly trying to stem the flow of blood. Artemis stares down at him, eyes half crazed and her mouth opens wordlessly as she stands between the splintered posts and gapes.

She comes down _eventually and cautiously _offers to drive him to the hospital. Naturally he jokes he could run them there in milliseconds but Artemis declines pointing to the mini parked on the street. Artemis never needed a license when he was around. He feels terrible that she's had to get one now. As she drives, carefully and slowly, again something else that has changed about her in his absence, he notices she's thinner and colder. Her body is hard and her actions mechanical. It's like watching a marionette move and Wally feels uncomfortable. She's timeless though, hardly looking any different then the woman he remembers and loves.

Then they're in the hospital he's bent over feebly holding onto the bridge of his nose and Artemis sits beside him turning her cellphone over and over in her hand – one of her little nervous habits. She doesn't look at him, doesn't talk to him, and finally Wally just asks one of the many pressing question going through his mind.

"What's the date?" Artemis looks up startled her eyes flickering to him momentarily as if debating whether the date was classified intel or not but finally she utters, "July fourth 2018." Two years. It's been two years and she's barely aged but he's remained the same. She's twenty-three and he's twenty-one and he kind of blinks at that information because the twins must have been born and Bart must have taken up his mantle and…it's a lot to take in. For him – he knew time passed – but it had seemed inconsequential barely wasted. He'd just gone, fast, never slowing down.

The TV in the waiting area switches to a breaking news story and yes, it is 2018, it says so in the corner of the screen as he watches Barry and Bart duke it out with Trickster.

"Bart's not a terrible Kid Flash," he comments as he watches his cousin taunt the villain.

"So you're real? Really him?" Artemis is looking at him. Her eyes curious and hopeful yet wary like she's experienced too much pain, and the phone keeps spinning in her hand.

He winces as his grin causes an expected awful twinge in his nose, and he keeps holding it because he can feel the cartilage healing beneath his fingers. "Well yeah. Pretty much, Artemis. In the flesh and all."

"It's just," she pauses and the phone vibrates in her hand and she grows closed as she reads the text. "Dick's here. He'll get you checked out." Wally wants to say that isn't necessary. He wants to say that's it's ridiculous besides his nose is already half healed anyway, hopefully not crooked, but still basically healed.

Of course Nightwing is wearing sunglasses as he accompanies him to the doctor's office watching the gentleman set his nose in place, but Wally catches his _best friend_ getting a swab of blood off his clothes – because yes Artemis gave him a sweatshirt and some sweats for obvious reasons. He knows he shouldn't be offended but he is. It's been two years but he's the same person.

"It's changed, huh," he comments and Dick squints at him behind the shades.

"Yeah. It's not your fault." But it feels like it is.

Then he's back in the waiting room beside Artemis as Dick goes off to confirm his real identity and this time it's him who's solemn and sullen. He continues to watch the news, there are heroes he knows others he doesn't and the League is finally in good favor with the public so at least some things have improved. Maybe once they're done testing him he'll ask what happened to that slime ball G. Gordon Godfrey. Eventually Nightwing escorts them back to their apartment, again in a car, and Wally's legs itch to run even if he's been running for almost forever. Artemis stands and he sits and Dick talks something about DNA and matches.

"Welcome home Wally," Dick's voice filters into his thoughts and his friend is suddenly (finally) hugging him. Artemis looks stunned and just whispers,

"Really? Him?" Dick nods and she shoves him harshly aside and pounces on Wally, arms snaking tightly around his neck and she breathes deeply and tears press against his exposed skin. He can see the TV over her shoulder and Kid Flash and Flash are talking to the crowd about the averted crisis when they get a call over their com-links and they both stop moving. Speedsters don't just stop and then they both share a look before taking off and suddenly another pair of arms are tangled around his middle.

"_CuzIthoughtyoudied. Ireallythoughtyoudied__. OhmyGodIthoughtyoudied__!" _The barely incomprehensible words could really only belong to one person – so clearly the news is out. Bart's grown taller and leaner and he suddenly feels incredibly old. Artemis takes a step back and his field of vision is filled with an almost mirror reflection of himself. Bart looks so much like Kid Flash. He is Kid Flash. He turns to Artemis excitedly.

"Grandpa went to tell everyone. This is so crash," he rocks on the balls of his feet excitedly. "You can take up your mantle again." Wally kind of blinks because, yeah, he is sort of still Kid Flash. Then the uniform is being tossed in his face and Bart is in his civvies rubbing his hands together. "Man. I'm so crashed to be Impulse again. Grandpa's great and all but his jokes and his training – such a moder."

"Wait!" sputters Wally staring at the uniform. "This is your mantle. I gave it to you. You deserve to be Kid Flash."

Bart shrugs easily. "You're a way better Kid Flash then me cuz. I mean you totally crash it. Though you better not wear the uniform till your nose heals, that bandage is really moding you." He speech picks up as he curiously circles his relative. "You gotta tell me what happened. Did your life flash before your eyes? Did you die?" Wally shakes his head trying to process all this. It's been two years and he's finally stopped running. As usual, Artemis senses his overload and asks the visitors to leave walking back towards their bedroom – it's not an invitation; it's a choice.

When he walks in she's pulling on her Tigress uniform and he frowns. "I thought you were never wearing that thing again." She turns slowly mask in place. Her body is still radiating hurt and pain.

"I couldn't be Artemis without you," she whispers, "the question is do you want Artemis."

"Huh?" he says unintelligently because the thought has never once occurred to him in the five or seven years he's known her.

"I'm two years older now," she smiles sadly, "and you're the same Wally. The same. We're different."

"So?" he reaches out and pulls her closer. "Your logic is flawed Artemis." He teases brushing her bangs out of the eyes of her mask. "I am the same, therefore, my feelings are the same. So you're a little older, so what? Weirder things have happened. Bart for instance." His fingers grip Bart's (**his**) uniform. "I promised to show you Paris remember."

Artemis kind of smirks and the tension melts as she scoots closer to correct him. "You promised to show me the world."

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_Please review, comment and critique. Love to hear from you :)  
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